ARLINGTON, Va. — The FMI Foundation announced the 2023 Gold Plate Awards recipients last month during a live-streamed ceremony, highlighting outstanding family meal programs implemented by the food industry and community ­organizations.

Recipients include programs that embrace the nature of family meals from such organizations as the Foundation for Fresh Produce, Skogen’s Festival Foods, K-VA-T Food Stores Inc., Hy-Vee Inc. and Pure Flavor.

“The Gold Plate Awards are a vivid celebration of the food industry’s dedication to promoting family meals,” said David Fikes, executive director of the FMI Foundation. “Through diverse initiatives like healthy family meals, celebrating cultural cuisines, and more, this award highlights the industry’s unwavering commitment to fostering family togetherness at home.”

Category A: Retailer 1 – 49 stores — Skogen’s Festival Foods

The More Meals Together campaign increased consumer awareness and motivation for family meals by partnering with supplier vendors to expand digital marketing opportunities, including recipe content, social media videos of meal trends, a themed landing page with weekly meal plans and ad items, and promotional email blasts. Festival Foods’ Food for Neighbors donation efforts added a community engagement component to the campaign.

Category B: Retailer 50 – 199 Stores — K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. (Food City)

The Stay Strong with Family Meals: Meals Made for Sharing campaign encouraged families to eat together and connected shoppers with sustainable solutions for family meal planning. As a USDA MyPlate National Strategic Partner, the company included the promotion of USDA’s MyPlate for meal planning. Registered dietitians led the initiative with TV segments and social media channel videos pro^moting the benefits of family meals.

Category C: Retailer 200+ Stores — Hy-Vee Inc.

This expansive campaign tied into National Hispanic Heritage Month focused on helping families find quality time together at meals. Incentives for Hy-Vee Kids Club members included a way to track family meals throughout the month. A free cookbook received more than 1,000 downloads and featured kid-friendly and dietitian-approved recipes, along with digital family cooking guides for budget-friendly and multicultural-themed recipes.

Category D: Manufacturer — Pure Flavor

The Together campaign connected the importance of family meals to the consumption of greenhouse-grown fruits and vegetables for healthy lifestyles. Each week Pure Flavor promoted new recipes, tips and family meal facts, through social media channels, blogs and a weekly survey with a chance to win Instacart gift cards.

Community Collaborator Category: The Foundation for Fresh Produce

The Have A Plant at Family Meals initiative embraces the connection between National Family Meals Month and National Fruits and Veggies Month, which are both celebrated in September.

The theme for 2023 leveraged family meals messaging and content was disseminated throughout the foundation’s digital ecosystem, including social media channels, websites and consumer newsletters.

Honorable Mentions

Rouses Markets, SpartanNash, Tops Markets LLC, Weis Markets Inc., Coborn’s Inc., Brookshire Grocery Co., Campbell Soup Co., Merchant’s Distributors LLC, Associated Wholesale Grocers.

“We are honored to spotlight the outstanding efforts of food retailers, manufacturers and community organizations who have played a pivotal role in encouraging families to gather around the table more often,” commented Leslie Sarasin, president and chief executive officer of FMI – The Food Industry ­Association.